Meningitis Outbreak Claims Under Investigation by Morgan and Morgan

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Morgan and Morgan is looking to hear from patients who were diagnosed with meningitis in connection with the recent outbreak, which has been linked to a steroid used to relieve back pain. The New York Times is reporting that 97 have fallen ill from this growing outbreak, and more cases are expected.

Tampa, FL (PRWEB)October 11, 2012

Morgan and Morgan is investigating potential claims on behalf of patients who were diagnosed with meningitis after receiving a steroid injection for back pain.

According to an Oct. 8 New York Times article, 97 people in 23 states have fallen ill from the growing outbreak of fungal meningitis, which has already claimed eight lives. More cases of meningitis are expected, with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating that 13,000 people may have been exposed to the steroid which has been linked to the current outbreak, the Times reports. The CDC provided this figure based on reports from clinics and state health departments that used the steroid, which is injected near the spine to relieve back pain.

According to the Times, the New England Compounding Center (NECC), where the potentially tainted steroids were made, has stopped operations and recalled all of its products. It is estimated that 17,676 doses of the steroid were shipped across the country, with Tennessee receiving a disproportionate share, said the Times. The CDC reported that 75 health care facilities in the following states have received the steroid: California; Connecticut; Florida; Georgia; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Maryland; Michigan; Minnesota; North Carolina; New Hampshire; New Jersey; Nevada; New York; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Virginia; Tennessee; Texas; and West Virginia.

Citing disease centers, the Times reports that shipments of the potentially tainted steroids were sent out starting on May 21 and patients who received lumbar epidural steroid injections for back pain after this date should see a doctor if they develop symptoms of meningitis, which may include sensitivity to light, fever, headache or a stiff neck. According to the article, it is unknown whether all of the vials were contaminated. The type of meningitis cited in this outbreak is not contagious, and it is unclear how the steroids became infected, according to an Oct. 8 CNN article.

Health officials focused on the NECC after a doctor in Tennessee noted that his meningitis patient showed no improvement after several weeks, CNN reports. According to the article, further testing revealed a fungus in the patient’s spinal fluid, a rare finding which led the doctor to inquire as to whether the patient recently received any unusual treatments. After family revealed that the patient had received injections for pain, the doctor notified the state’s department of health. On Oct. 1, federal health inspections began inspecting a NECC plant and found a foreign substance in unopened vials, which testing revealed to be a fungus, CNN reports.

About Morgan & Morgan
Morgan & Morgan is one of the largest exclusively plaintiffs’ law firms in the country with 15 offices throughout Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and New York. The firm handles cases nationally involving personal injury, medical malpractice, consumer class action, and securities fraud, as well as complex litigation against drug and medical device manufacturers. Visit Morgan & Morgan online at http://www.forthepeople.com/ for a free case evaluation and information about your legal rights.